Precise length and charge segmentation of billion-dalton supramolecular polymers.

Living polymerization creates billion-dalton supramolecular polymers with precisely segmented positive and negative charge regions in water.

• Why it matters: Controlling charge segmentation at this scale is vital for applications like surface patterning, cellular interactions, and hierarchical structure formation, yet remains difficult to achieve.
• What they did: The study employed a living polymerization method to produce fibrillar peptide assemblies with a central positive segment flanked by negative ones, reaching molar masses of billions of daltons, requiring an untwisted β sheet core and dormant ends.
• The result: These charged, segmented polymers anchored to neuronal membranes promoted extensive neurite growth and synaptic activity, enabling dynamic interactions with cells and potential for advanced bioengineering applications.